


In Another World

by allysonwonderlnd



Series: The Lion of Wonderland [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alice just wants to help people in pain, Alice less than three's swearing, And 11, Dragon Age: Inquisition Spoilers, Drug Use, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, I got Dorian high, Love, M/M, Modern Girl in Thedas, Romance, Seer, Slow Build, Solas is a big baby, Spoilers, Trespasser Spoilers, Triggers, because why the fuck not, can I get an amen, chapter 10, i suck at detail, most likely at various points in the story as well, teaching people the importance of hand washing, that feeling when, to thedas' ecosystem, trigger warning, will do my best to add chapters to tags and notes, you get it though, you introduce an entirely new plant, you know what everything looks like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-01 00:42:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 17,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5185661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allysonwonderlnd/pseuds/allysonwonderlnd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alice Hammond was just trying to make it back to her warm bed after a long night of drinking on Halloween. Title is a work in progress and may change.</p><p>Story has changed directions just a little bit there is a trigger warning for chapter 10 and 11</p><p>Chapter 13 is author's notes (Deleted). Chapter 13 is an actual chapter now.</p><p>This part of the story is now finished. You can choose either part 2, which is light and fluffy. You can choose part 3, which will be dark and disturbing. You can choose both, when I start writing them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not gonna lie. These first few chapters may not be great and may eventually get edited. I have where I want this story to go, it's just getting there that's gonna be annoying.

    “If I never see this Maker damned castle again, it will be too soon!” Dorian rubbed his hand over his forehead before Maxwell Trevelyan nodded in agreement.

 

    “I’d much rather be at the tavern back in Haven.”

 

    “Ah, a man after my own heart.” Dorian’s small smile grew as the blush on Trevelyan’s cheeks burned brighter.

 

_When I find myself in times of trouble_

 

    “Do you really think now is the time? Wait!” Trevelyan paused in front of one of the many dungeon doors and listened. “Do you hear that?”

 

    “Is that singing? A poor attempt to say the least.”

 

_Mother Mary comes to me_

 

    “I don’t recognize the song, do you”

 

_Speaking words of wisdom_

 

    “Do you think that’s her? Fiona and Felix both said she was here.”

 

_Let it be_

 

    “I was kind of hoping we weren’t going to run into anyone else that’s fallen out of the fade. We can’t guarantee they’ll all be as attractive as you.” Maxwell let out a groan before pushing the door open.

 

    “If you’re quite done, it seems I have a damsel in distress to save.” Dorian rolled his eyes.

 

    “If this girl is anything like Felix said, the only one needing to be saved will be you.” In fact, from what Felix had told Dorian of the girl, she could easily be a danger to everyone. “She split a Venetori agent in half! Not without good cause, but still. A mage, who claims she’s not a mage, in a world that she claims is not her own? Something is not right here.”

 

    “Says the man who helped develop time magic. You don’t think Alexius and that fucking amulet didn’t have something to do with this?”

 

    “Oh, I’m sure that has everything to do with it, if her story is true.” The singing grew and improved as they got closer

  


_Let it be_

_Let it be_

_Let it be_

_Whisper words of wisdom_

_Let it be_

 

    “She told me, but to see it for myself. You’re alive!” They expected to find the mysterious girl in the first cell, but instead found Solas. The singing stopped.

 

    While Trevelyan explained the false future they were in, Dorian walked down to the last cell. What he found in the cell surprised him more than he thought it should, considering he already knew she was here. A girl with long blond hair and the lightest blue eyes Dorian had ever seen was staring back at him. Her blue dress was torn and ripped, the apron Dorian assumed to have been white at one point was yellowed by dust and dirt. Scars and bruises marred her face and arms. Despite the cell being filled with red lyruim, the girl seemed to not be affected at all. This intrigued him.

 

    “Holy fucking shit.” The words whispered through her lips. She stood quickly after the initial shock of seeing him wore off. “Holy fucking shit!” A few more curses escaped and the strange girl began pacing her cell, talking to herself incoherently. Dorian just watched her as Trevelyan and Solas came to stand next to him.

 

    “She is not from our world.” At the sound of Solas’s voice her pacing stopped and her shoulders fell.

 

    “Solas.” She struggled to keep her emotions in check as her eyes filled with tears. He stepped towards her cell and she stepped towards him as their fingers intertwined between the bars.

 

    “Who are you?” Trevelyan asked impatiently.

 

    “My name is Alice. You don’t have time for this now. When you return to the present time you need to find me. Solas won’t remember, only you two will.” Trevelyan and Dorian exchanged a look.

 

    “How do you know we’ve been misplaced in time”

 

    “Well for one, I’m not deaf and I heard you talking to Solas and for two-”

 

    “She’s a seer from another world.” Solas never took his eyes off of her.

 

    “Yes that sums it up quite nicely. Now go and promise me you will come back for me when you return.”

 

    “A seer from another world with magical abilities and red lyruim resistant? How could we pass that up!? If anything, someone will want to study you!” Trevelyan offered a sympathetic smile to Alice at Dorian’s comment.

 

    “Just promise me I can wait for Dagna and we have a deal.” She stopped herself from grinning at their confusion. “I hope I can be a valuable asset to the inquisition. I’ve...seen a lot of things that can be help to you and your advisers. And I’m a good cook. No, a great cook. In my world I am a chef.”

 

    “I’m always looking for new allies. A decent meal wouldn’t hurt either. It would most likely be best to steal you away from here before the Venetori do. It would do no good to have you fall into the hand of this Elder One. We will come for you when if return to the present.”

 

    “When. When you return to the present.”

 

\---

  


    “We found her, ser. We’ve got her in the sitting room King Alistair said you could use. He said he would like to be there as well. Wants to make sure she’s not a threat to the country, ser.”

 

    “Thank you. Please tell the king we are ready when he is.” Trevelyan motioned for Dorian, Solas, and Iron Bull to follow.

 

    To see her now compared to the false future they found her in, was a sight to behold. The bruises and scars were no longer on her body. One of the inquisition soldiers must have let her clean up a bit before bringing her to the sitting room. Her hair was held back in a long braid, draped over her shoulder, with a black ribbon holding it together. Her dress and apron looked almost new minus a few dirty patches. Her face was bright and full of life. _Maker’s breath, she’s beautiful._

 

    She felt impossibly small sitting on such a large couch with her ankles crossed and her hands in her lap. When the door opened, her face blushed bright red and she avoided eye contact with the people that shouldn’t exist entered. _Dorian, Solas, The Iron Bull, my inquisitor, and...fuck no, Alistair! I’m in a coma. I’m in my world, in a hospital, in a fucking coma. Oh my fucking god please let me be in a coma. I look fucking ridiculous and there are way too many attractive men in this room. Please let me be in a fucking coma. Please wake up! WAKE UP! WAKE THE FUCK UP!_

 

    Instead of waking up, she was now sitting across from them and they all stared at her, for quite a while until Trevelyan finally spoke.

 

    “The only reason I’m going for this right now is because Solas was very convinced that you were telling the truth in the future.” His rubbed his hands down his face before continuing. “So, let’s start simple. Who are you?”

 

    “Alice Hammond.”   


    “How did you get to our world.”

 

    “I-I don’t know.” Her face contorted as she tried to remember the last moments she spent in her world. “I was walking home from a bar...a tavern. There was a flash of green light and I woke up here. I was very drunk when it happened and still drunk when I woke up.” She grimaced at the impression she was most likely making. “I normally don’t drink. I was guilted into going out by my friends. It was Halloween in my world. A holiday where children dress up in costumes of characters in...books and go door to door for candy.” The Iron Bull made a huff.

 

    “You don’t look like a kid.”

 

    “Adults that celebrate Halloween just use it as an excuse to dress up and get drunk. That’s what I was doing. I’m- ugh- I don’t normally dress like this. I feel very silly sitting here like this. I’m dressed as a character from a children’s book, Alice in Wonderland. It’s a story about a girl who falls down a rabbit hole and ends up in a magical world. The irony is not lost on me.” Alistair laughed.

 

    “I can only assume it had something to do with Alexius’s time magic. My world doesn’t have magic. Like at all. So, whatever pulled me through to your world must have been done in this world. I was told that I fell out of the rift that you’ve already closed. The one outside the gates. The one most affected by time magic.”

 

    “You’re the expert on time magic, do you think you can send her back?” Solas asked Dorian.

 

    “Well in theory, maybe, but I-”

 

    “I don’t think I could go back. I mean, I’m a bit freaked out right now, but could you? If you woke up in a magical world with no ties holding you to your own world, could you go back? I have no family, my friends are acquaintances at best, my job can somewhat survive without me and I’ve been handed an amazing opportunity to explore a world that could never exist in mine on a silver fucking platter.”

 

    “You want to stay?” Solas eyed her curiously.

 

    “I can help here. I know things.”

 

    “You did say she’s a seer from another world. You even seemed to share a moment.” Solas rolled his eyes at Dorian.

 

    “I can prove it, although you all would want to speak to me privately. I doubt you want me spilling your secrets to everyone.”

 

    “I believe you.” Everyone looked at Iron Bull.

 

    “Your Ben-Hassrath training tells you I’m not lying. Which is helpful because I actually don’t know that much about you or Trevelyan. Shame Varric and Cassandra aren’t here.”

 

    “You know my inner circle, but not me?”

 

    “It’s harder with you. There are...are set points in time that never change. The Hero of Fereldan always helps ends the blight, the qunari always attack Kirkwall, Anders always blows up the chantry, the conclave is always destroyed, the elder one always attacks and the inquisition always defeats the elder one. Who the Hero of Fereldan is is not a set point. Hawke being male is not a set point and you being the Herald of Andraste is no different. I see the time lines and all are the same, just with minor differences.” She looked at the men around her. “I’ve lost you.”

 

    “No.” Iron Bull and Solas responded at the same time. Alistair, Trevelyan, and Dorian were not grasping it yet.

 

    “What she’s saying is that while you are the Herald of Andraste, there is another timeline happening at the same time with a completely different Herald.”

 

    “Sometimes it’s a male dwarf that falls in love with Iron Bull and sometimes it’s a female dalish elf that falls in love with Solas.” Solas scoffed. “It’s true, as much as you dislike the dalish it’s true.”

 

    “I need a moment to wrap my head around this.” Trevelyan’s hand rubbed his forehead. “Let’s come back to this later. For now, I think Dorian, Solas and the King would like a little proof. Who would like to go first?”

  
    “I would.” Alice met Alistair’s eyes and was surprised to hear him speak up. A blush crossed her cheeks. The rest filed out of the room leaving her alone with the King of Fereldan. The man she made king. _Fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the reader, I have left the conversations between Solas and Alice for that year that didn't happen to your imagination. Alice doesn't remember, so I myself as the writer feel that I shouldn't really know either. I mean, we call all agree what they most likely spent that year talking about it. I'm leaving the actual words, tone, phrases, attitude, and songs in your hands.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lack of explanation for Solas and Alice's bonding in Redcliffe is pretty much to have the reader assume what was said.

    Alistair and Alice sat in silence for quite a while after the rest had left the room. She could practically see the gears turning in his head and watched him start to say something a handful of times before stopping himself. She decided it would be best for her to just rip the bandaid off and go first.

 

    “She loved you, still does. Always will.” Alistair went a little pale, but she continued anyway. “You lost your virginity to her and she to you. She supported you when you went to meet your sister. Which didn’t go the way you wanted. No offence, but your sister made Morrigan look like an angel.” Alistair’s face changed in a way that made her think she said the wrong thing. _I’m getting beheaded, great_. Instead he smiled and started to laugh.

 

    “It is amazing that anyone can make Morrigan look good.” She gave him a weak smile before continuing.

 

    “She didn’t want to make you king.” Alistair stopped smiling. “She knew how much you hated the idea, but along the way she realized that you alone would be best for this country. She didn’t trust Anora and she knew she could never force you to marry her. She...she knew you’d make this country a better place. For everyone, not just the humans.”

 

    “I, umm, I have no idea what to say.”

 

   

    “There’s something else. It’s really none of my business, but I’m afraid if I don’t say anything Fiona never will.”

 

    “Fiona? Grand Enchanter Fiona?”

 

    “Yes, I have very good reason to believe that she is your mother or at the very least, knows where or who your mother is.” He tried to speak, but she lifted her hand to stop him. “Later on, the Herald will speak with her and when he goes to leave she will ask about you, if he had a moment to speak with you. She says she wanted to make sure that you were alright and that she was very close with your father. Trevelyan will ask if she wants him to contact you and she says she believes it’s too late and it’s just the concerns of an old woman. I may be reading too far into this. That can happen with my...visions, but I’m almost certain. I don’t believe I would have seen it if it wasn’t important.”

 

    “You mean to tell me that I might be half-”

 

    “Orlaisian,” they spoke in unison and Alice started laughing until tears fell down her cheek.

 

    “Sorry,” she managed to get out trying to catch her breath, “you really have no idea how funny that is. It’s kind of an inside joke that I can’t really explain to you.”

   

    Alistair was easier than she expected. He didn’t ask anymore questions except to clarify a few things about Fiona. When they were done he left and gave Dorian his turn.

 

    “Let’s make this quick. The sooner I can no longer see this castle behind me, the better.”

 

    “Agreed. I hope we can be friends, Dorian. You are a very interesting person and a wonderful flirt.”

 

    “Not a very hard conclusion to come by.”

 

    “You enjoy the company of men. Not going to lie, it makes me a little sad considering how handsome you are. Didn’t really need to be a seer to see that. Your father didn’t approve and tried to use blood magic to quote unquote fix you.” He glared at her.

 

    “Only a very small group of people know that.”

 

    “Seer, remember? There will come a time when your father wants to make contact. Take it.” Dorian scoffed. “No, you misunderstand me. Take it for you, not for him. Take that time to say what you really want to say and then if you still feel need, be done with him.” She offered a small smile. “Was that quick enough for you?”

 

    “Too quick, I think you’ve made me sick.” She gave him a sympathetic look as stood to leave. "I do hope we can be friends as well."

 

    As he exited to room Solas entered. Her stomach churned and her heart began to race. She could feel the blood pumping in her ears as she took a deep breath to calm herself.

 

    “It’s a shame you don’t remember the future we were in. Whatever you told me over that year had me convinced, according to Dorian and Maxwell.”

 

    “I could have easily said one word, but I will give you a sentence.” He eyed her with his face showing no emotion other than the pursing of his lips. “When we get to Skyhold, wisdom will be in danger,” she sucked in a breath and continued, “Fen’Harel.”

 

    He stood, quicker than she expected. “How do you know who I am?!”

 

    “Sit down. I am no threat to you. I cannot reveal who you are because the inquisition doesn’t find out until two years after they’ve defeated Corypheus.” He froze at the magister’s name and took a moment to calm down before sitting back down. “I am from another world, that much is true, but I am not a seer. In my world, this world doesn’t exist. It’s make believe, imaginary. It’s a game we can play. Not a conventional board game, but a game that gets acted out in front of us. We make our inquisitor, we make choices, and we save this world.” She sighed and played with the hem of her apron. “It would be easier to show you, but I do not believe Dorian would be happy waiting while we take a nap. I’m serious about not being a threat. I would not like to disrupt major events on this timeline. I cannot tell these people who you are. I can’t even tell them who Corypheus is yet, let alone that he holds your orb.

 

    “I know you think your plans to be ruined, but honestly Solas. It is not my goal to throw this world into chaos. As I stated before, there are set points in this timeline. Things I cannot change. Your secret is safe with me.” She looked down at her hands. “Even if I do not agree with what you want to do.”

 

    “How much of my plans do you know?”

 

    “I know you gave Corypheus your orb in hopes that he would open it for you and die along with everyone else at the conclave. I know you intended to use that orb to tear down the veil to return the elves to glory.”

 

    “ _Fenedis_!” He stood again and began pacing the room.

 

    “I do not wish you harm, Solas. By the time I can say anything, everyone else will already know. You can have your spies follow me around for all you want. I cannot and will not tell your secret. Don’t assume I won’t try to convince you not to, but I will not reveal who you are. That’s exactly why I offered my secret in exchange. I cannot let these people know that their lives are a game to my world. Granted, my secret isn’t as earth shattering as yours.” Her hands began to shake and her eyes filled with tears.

 

    “Don’t think for one second that I won’t kill you.” With that he walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this moment on I think it's fair to say that it is canon in my story that every time Alice hears Solas say something that's total bullshit she is probably singing "why you lying" in her head


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short and sweet and meant to be fun.

    Alice slumped into the cushion next to her and groaned. She was already messing everything up. _Why the hell did I tell him about Wisdom? Wisdom always dies._ She pressed her face into the cushion and groaned again. _I can only give them a heads up at best. I need to be cryptic and weird, like Cole. Guide the inquisitor on the best options he can choose. Don’t fuck this up._ Another groan. “I’m going to fuck this up.”

 

    “Man, you really pissed Solas off.” Bull spoke from the doorway, moving for Trevelyan and Dorian to enter before closing the door behind him. She sat up quickly, fixing any flyaway hairs from her head. “What’s your trick?” A smile curled at his lips.

 

    “The truth.” She groaned once again before slightly raising an eyebrow and changing the subject. “Where did Ali- King Alistair go?”

 

    “He complained of a headache and excused himself for the night.” Dorian spoke this time, taking a seat at the far end of the couch. _Fuck, the false calling! Can I tell him? How much could it hurt? Maybe he’d even write the wardens and stop the demon army. No, I can’t go that far. Maybe just tell him it’s false? Yes, that could work. Cryptic, be cryptic._ “Alice? Are you alive in there?”

 

    “Sorry, I’m fine. I was just thinking.” The door opened once more and Solas entered. If looks could kill, she would have dropped dead right there. Before Dorian could open his mouth to comment, one of Leliana’s agents entered holding a black bag with a long black strap. The poor kid nearly ran into Solas causing him to be on the other end of the death stare. Alice felt relief wash over her, not only to be free of Solas’s eyes for just a moment, but the agent was holding her messenger bag.

 

    “I believe this is yours.” The agent looked back at Trevelyan.. “Nothing dangerous,” he said before turning back and handing her the bag. “You have very strange stuff.” The agent patted the side pocket of the bag before finally releasing it. A blush crossed the agent and Alice’s face at the same time. _Oh my God, they found my condoms._

 

    “What’s she got in there?” Her blush intensified at Bull’s question. She hesitated for a moment before letting out a huff. She quickly reached her hand in the side pocket of the bag and threw a box of three condoms at Bull. The agent quickly ducked out of the room while Bull held the small box in his hands. “Extra Sensitive? For what?” He turned the box over, squinting while he tried to read the small print. And then he let out the loudest laugh Alice had ever heard. He quickly opened the box and pulled out one of the packages.

 

    “Oh God.” She could only watch as he tore open the package and unrolled the condom. She squirmed in place trying to sink into the couch, praying it would swallow her whole.

 

    “Well that's not gonna work.” Bull held the condom out in front of him. “That’s way to small.” Alice could feel her face burning. _Please, Solas. Kill me right now._ She glanced up at him, but he was focused on the object in Bull’s hand. His ears a shade of beet red as he glanced over at her. She quickly looked down at her hands.

 

    “Does that go where I think it goes?” Dorian started to laugh and Trevelyan joined him. She nodded. “You trollop! We actually have something similar in Tevinter. Made of ram skin.”

 

    "Same here," Trevelyan added, still laughing.

  
    “Now I only have eight left,” she muttered, checking to make sure the other two boxes were in her bag.


	4. Chapter 4

    After quite a few moments of awkward silence, the rest of the night moved along quickly. A few more questions regarding her world and the Venatori agent she ‘split in half’. She couldn’t believe how much of what Felix had been told was exaggerated. The Venatori were coming at her from the other side of the gate. She imagined the gate coming down and it did. Came down right on top of one of them. It was gruesome. She remembered turning her head and throwing up before passing out.

    When she was shown her room for the night, she took the time to rummage through her bag. _Jeans, a sweater, my shawl wrap. Yes! Clean undies, my phone. OH MY GOD my phone! Dead. Shit. SHIT! Jessica is going to kill me. I have her phone too! Dead. I need Dagna!_ Besides the change of clothes and two very dead phones, she found a bottle of Tylenol and Ibuprofen. _These will come in handy for Cullen’s lyrium withdrawal._ When she went to put the bottles in the hidden pocket in the bag she found her quarter of weed, three packs of smokes, and two lighters. _Score! I’m so proud of myself right now and embarrassed for Leliana’s agents. She’ll freak out if I tell her they missed this._

    The next morning, she left a note for Alistair in the sitting room they had used before heading out with the boys.

_Alistair,_   
_The calling is false. I wish I could tell you more._

    On the ride to Haven, she’d never been more grateful for her horseback riding lessons. It didn’t change the fact that she had never ridden for more than a half an hour, but any experience was better than no experience. 

    She was surprised that it took only a few hours to reach Haven. _Maybe Thedas is like the size of Europe? At least not an American scale of travel. Drive twenty minutes and you haven’t even left town yet._ Her thoughts were silenced by the sight of Cullen in front of her. She saw his lips moving as they approached, but she couldn’t hear anything over her heart pounding in her chest. He furrowed his brow and tilted his head towards Trevelyan.

    “Is she okay?” Cullen crossed his arms and watched her dismount.

    “I’m fine.” Her cheeks burned. She had to get the upper hand in the situation. “I’ve just never seen...Haven in person. It’s quite breathtaking.” A blush crossed Cullen’s cheeks. He knew full well she had been looking at him and not the town behind him. Cullen glanced at her one last time before walking towards the town’s gates with Trevelyan and Solas.

    She rubbed her hands down her thighs when Cullen disappeared into Haven. “Fuck, my legs hurt.” Dorian laughed. She looked around for Dennet when a few of the stable hands came to collect the horses. She frowned when he was nowhere to be found. I normally have him here already.

    “Come on. Let’s get to the Chantry before Cassandra finds you.” Alice nodded in agreement as they made their way up the stairs. They were stopped by Varric on the way.

    “So, this must be the seer. Anything useful I can use in my books?” Varric stood in front of his tent with his hand on his chin and his other hand tucked under his elbow.

    “You need to stop letting her string you along.” Varric raised an eyebrow.

    “Who? Cassandra?” Alice let out a small laugh before turning her expression blank.

    “No. Your crossbow.” She heard Varric mutter ‘shit’ as they walked away. As they got closer to the Chantry she could hear voices shouting. Cullen, Trevelyan, and Chancellor Roderick were standing outside the Chantry doors.

    “A seer? A traitor, you mean! You’ve brought a spy into your ranks! She is no more a seer than you are the Herald of Andraste!” Roderick had his finger in Trevelyan’s face and it took everything in Alice to not roll her eyes. She walked up to him and grabbed his arm. Her eyes flashed with fire.

    “Very soon you will see the error in your ways and you will make amends for your offending words.” Her words spat at him. He let out a disgruntled noise before ripping his arm from her grasp and storming off. “I really fucking hate that guy.” Dorian and Trevelyan laughed while Cullen uncomfortably tried not to.

\---

    “We should be able to close the breach in less than a week. The mages will be trickling in for the next few days and will need to rest. Josephine and the Herald have their lyrium supplies handled. Now we just wait.” Leliana spoke and she moved pieces around the map in the war room. “Does our newest member have something to add?”

    “Not yet. I have been shown what will happen, but I’m afraid I can only give you a headstart before it happens. Time is a funny thing and I would hate to destroy it.” Leliana looked up from the map with a scowl on her face.

    “What is the point of you being here then?”

    “As I stated, I can give you a headstart. You will be able to save people you wouldn’t normally be able to save and take out larger chunks of enemy forces. I can give insight to places the Herald will be going and people he will be fighting. I know where things are located as well. Like here,” she pointed at the portion of the map that was the Hinterlands. I noticed you haven’t recruited horse master Dennet. He lives here, which I’m sure you know, and over here,” she moved her finger towards the location of the waterfall near the campsite they had yet to establish, “is a fade rift. A very strong fade rift. It’s one of those most challenging of the Hinterlands. The demons that you will deal with...shit what are they called? The one looks like a tree and the other looks like a banshee. Despair! Despair and terror demons. This rift by the tower the cultists are living in is also pretty strong. And there’s a keep here bandits have taken over, they are very organized. The dragon is here The oculara are here, here, here, here, and here. The astrariums are here, here, and here.”

    “Oculara?” Cullen raised an eyebrow at her.

    “The skulls.” Her lips dropped into a frown and her voice to a whisper. “The skulls of tranquil mages.” Trevelyan grimly nodded.

    “There was a letter we found in a house in Redcliff. The Venatori are looking for the shards for the Elder One. The only way to see them is through the skull’s eye.”

    “You can have your people investigate, but the shards open the Temple of Solasan in the Hidden Oasis.” The way they all stared at her was a bit unnerving. A small smile quirked at Leliana’s lips.

    “I think she can be a great help to us. My agents have already told me half of what she’s said. I’m eager to see them confirm the other half. Alice, can you stay and help point out a few more things for me?” Alice hesitantly nodded her head. Everyone began to file out of the war room. Before leaving Cullen turned back, cocking his eyebrow and gave her a look that sent heat straight to her cheeks and between her thighs. _Lord help me._


	5. Chapter 5

    The way Leliana stared at Alice from across the war table was quite unnerving. After a few seconds, Leliana broke eye contact to reach under the table. She set a small bag, covered with an orange and yellow floral design, on the table.

 

    “This is yours, no? My scouts found it in your bag and they were curious of it’s contents.” Alice walked around the table to stand next to Leliana and started to laugh. Leliana pressed her lips tightly together and frowned.

 

    “It’s makeup, Leliana.” Leliana’s frown disappeared and her lips slightly parted. Alice took the bag, unzipping the zipper and poured the contents on the table. She grabbed her compact and mascara. Using the mirror on her compact, she applied the mascara to her lashes before scrunching her nose at her reflection and using a little of the pressed powder to cover the bags under her eyes. When she finished, she set them both on the table and looked over at Leliana. “See?”

 

     Leliana delicately picked up a container of loose powder eye shadow, her eyes widened when she saw the vibrant gold pigment. “I will not take them if you promise to share.” Alice smiled and nodded. “Good! So, our Herald has said you are a chef, yes?”

 

    “Yes, a personal chef to the rich and famous in my world. Like being a private chef to a noble family here, I suppose. I’m not sure the inquisition could afford me.” She let out a breathy laugh and quickly stopped when she noticed Leliana’s frown reappear. “I’m joking! I will obviously do everything I can to make myself useful here. I have absolutely no fighting skills. I mean, I’ve never even punched anyone. If cooking is how I make my place here, it’s perfectly fine with me. I know quite a bit about hygiene as well. I can probably cut stomach problems down by half in the camp. That’s if I’m in charge of your kitchens. Not a demand, of course. Just...an astute observation that I’m likely the most qualified for the job.” Leliana smiled.

 

    “I will discuss it with Josephine and Cullen. You will be mainly cooking for the inner circle. The soldiers already have their own cooks within their ranks. That is, after you prove yourself at dinner.” They talked a little more about Alice’s world before Leliana changed the subject to her makeup bag again. Alice let her take a couple of eye shadows and a brush after showing how to properly use the two together. After giving Leliana a quick makeover, one of her agents entered to show Alice to the chantry kitchens. Before leaving, Alice turned to look Leliana in the eyes.

 

    “Lavender, sweet orange, and your mother’s gray linen dress.” She waited until the door closed behind her to smile at the surprised reaction on the other woman’s face. _I’m really good at this._

 

    Leliana’s agent led her down the stairs to the chantry’s dungeons, but instead of going right, she was led left to a door that should not be there. As they walked together in silence down the long hall, passing doors on either side, she wondered how much other stuff had been left out of the game for lack of necessity. She almost ran into the agent when he stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall. When he opened it, she stepped inside and looked around the room in awe. It’s so rustic! In the back corner was a large stone oven and there were large wooden shelves on walls next to the oven, filled with different sized labeled jars. Herbs and flowers hung from string around the room. In the center of the room stood a large table half covered in baskets full of fruits and vegetables and the other half covered in flour someone neglected to clean up. She pursed her lips. _I’m going to have my work cut out for me._

 

    “‘Scuse me miss, you’re in my way.” Alice backed out of the doorway while turning to see who owned the voice behind her. The agent had disappeared and in his place stood an elven woman, a few inches shorter than her with bronze skin and a vallaslin-free face, holding a taco shaped basket filled with wood. _Where’s google when I need it. The name of that is going to bug me all day._ The elf’s blood red hair was pulled back into a bun. Her already wide, jade green eyes widened even more when she saw Alice’s face. “I saw you come in with the ‘erald.”

 

    “What’s your name?”

 

    “Eleanor,” she said as she made a face, “but everyone calls me Elle.”

 

    “I’ll tell you what, Elle, you get that started for me,” she pointed at the oven, “and help me find stuff around here and I’ll teach you how to make a pizza.”

 

\---

 

    After almost setting the entire chantry on fire, twice, Alice and Elle finally had two perfect pizzas. While it wasn’t exactly like home, it was close enough. She found that deep root mushrooms were practically identical to the ones from her world. That is, after removing the sour, glowing blue cap. She found a spice very similar to oregano and when she asked Elle what it was, the elf shrugged.

 

    “How long have you been cooking for the inquisition?” Elle finished slicing the pizza the way Alice showed her before responding.

 

    “About a month. I couldn’t sew or fight and I don’t want to spend all day cleaning chamber pots, but I know how to make a good nug stew. There’s three of us that work the kitchen, miss. Norma, who looks like she’s gonna die any moment and can’t see her own hand in front of her and Ginny, who would be more useful if there was a brothel here. She spends most of time flirting with the soldiers in the tavern.” Elle’s cheeks went red and she mumbled an apology and something about Norma telling her to watch her mouth.

 

    “I think we are going to get along just fine.” Elle grinned. “Let’s get this up to them before they send Cassandra down here to get us.”

 

    “She is a scary woman.” Elle shook her head a smiled before grabbing and following Alice out the kitchen. She watched Alice balance the tray with her palm down the hall. “‘Where’d ya learn do you do that?”

 

    “Work. Before I was a chef I was a waitress. I’d bring out large trays similar to these, to customers, filled with food.” Still balancing the tray, Alice opened the door to the main room of the chantry and let Elle walk past her before closing the door. Someone had set up a long table with chairs, but besides that, the room was empty. Alice sighed inwardly out of relief that no one was there yet, mainly Cullen. They both set their trays down.

 

    “You don’t suppose we could just leave the food here and run back downstairs before anyone gets here?” Elle opened her mouth to respond, but the door to the makeshift war room opened and Maxwell, Cullen, Leliana, Josephine, and Cassandra filed out. Alice blushed when Cullen made eye contact and she cursed at herself under her breath.

 

    “I thought I smelled food!” Maxwell walked over to the table and looked down at the trays sitting on the table. He scrunched his face. “What is this?”

 

    “Pizza!” Elle chimed in before Alice could respond and everyone looked at her like it was the first time they realized she was in the room. Alice was rather irritated by it. She knew they were all used to servants, or something similar, but to be so blind as to not see the woman next to her really struck a nerve.

 

    “Yes, it’s a staple meal from my...er, country.” She glanced over at Elle and wondered if she should ever tell her. _I’m going to be working with her every day and if Danga can figure out a way to charge my phone, I’ll have to say something to explain the music coming out of it._ That was the only thing she really missed, the music and sometimes Google. “If you’ll excuse us, we have a kitchen to clean up.”

 

    “We were hoping you would stay and eat with us. There is much to discuss.” Josephine spoke this time. Leliana and her exchanged looks. Alice had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. _Leliana showed her the makeup. Or told her about my creepy comment. Or, most likely, both_. The rest of the inner circle had started to arrive slowly.

 

    “It’s alright, miss. I can clean the rest up myself. You’re not nearly as messy as old Norma.” Elle smiled and Alice offered her own sympathetic smile before the elf made her way back down to the kitchen. Maxwell saved her a seat next to him and Dorian sat on her other side. Unfortunately for her, Cullen took the seat directly across.

 

\---

 

    Dinner went off without a hitch. Well maybe a few hitches for Alice. Mainly, a few misplaced words and very red cheeks when talking to Cullen. It was becoming annoying. The more she made a fool of herself, the more smooth and charming he would become. It all came to a head after dinner. She was speaking Elle, who came back up to help clean up. When Cullen came up behind her, Elle's eyes went big before quickly turning around and returning to the kitchen with an arm full of dishes.

 

    “That...pizza is it?” Alice slightly jumped at the sound of his voice. She turned to face him and nodded since she wasn’t always able to find her voice when talking to him or maybe it was more out of fear for saying something stupid. Regardless, she was once again blushing and wondered if her cheeks would eventually get stuck like that. Her breath stuck in her throat when his golden eyes locked with her light blue ones and he half smiled at her. “That has to be the best meal I’ve had in a very long time.”

 

    “Thank you,” is what she said in her head. It’s what she meant to say. It’s what she wanted to say. “God, you’re pretty,” is what actually came out followed by her brow furrowing and her mouth partially opening out of shock. She looked down at the ground beside her and mouthed ‘what the fuck’. She definitely nodded earlier to avoid speaking. Cullen coughed to cover his chuckle.

 

    “I- well, thank you.”  Alice groaned and avoided eye contact.

 

    “I have...things to...do. I have to-. She never finished her sentence. She turned around and ran back down to the kitchen as fast as she could. She let the door close behind her before leaning her body against it.

  
    “What the **FUCK** is wrong with me?!” Elle just shrugged at her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short and a teensy bit dirty. Almost went even dirtier.

    Alice had been avoiding Cullen like the plague. She became a blundering fool every time he’d even look at her. She expected Cullen from the games, but that was not what she got. The way he would look at her would send shivers down her spine. On quite a few occasions since their dinner encounter she had to stop herself from becoming a complete fool. She really tried her best to avoid him. That all fell apart two days later.

 

    She wanted to bathe. Desperately needed to bathe. Not that she had an odor, but she’d never been the type of person to go more than a day without showering. Dorian had been kind enough to let her stay with him and never hesitate to show her where things were. Things that weren’t in the game, like where the hell to pee. He showed her down a hallway in the Chantry she’d never seen before. A simple room with two rows of five copper tubs on both sides and two water pumps. He helped her fill it with water from a well pump and heated it up the water for her. He muttered something about her setting fire to the whole room if she tried to do it herself before leaving. She stuck her tongue out at the door he closed behind him.

 

    The bath was glorious. She’d almost forgotten how wonderful hot water felt.  After washing her hair and body, she sunk down in the water and relaxed. She’d almost nodded off when she heard the door click open and then close. From her position in the tub she watched the top of Cullen’s head walk a few feet past her tub and stop at the well pump opposite the one she and Dorian had used. He filled the tub kitty-corner from hers and put a small fire ruin under it. She peaked her head up from the edge of the tub and watch the Commander undress himself. _This is very inappropriate of me, but fuck, I cannot turn away. God damn look at that ass. It’s a shame they don’t have boxer briefs here. I’m going straight to hell when I die._ When he got into his tub he turned slightly and gave her a half frontal view of his front side and she let out a little squeak before quickly dropping back down into the tub.

 

    “Who’s there?!” Her head peaked back up out of the tub and Cullen didn’t blush, he went pale. His brow furrowed and his face went stern. “Were you watching me?”

 

    “Not really? Should I go? I should go. I’m done anyway. Plus, I suppose it’s only fair if I leave first.” She chewed at her bottom lip and turning around. She stood from the water giving Cullen a clear view of her backside. She heard him whisper 'Maker’s Breath' before she stepped out of the tub and wrapped a simple robe around her body. She grinned to herself before turning around. “I am a _little_ sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable.” Cullen let out a warm laugh that made her knees weak.

 

“Only a little? I’m impressed you’re sorry at all.” She blushed. “See that’s what I don’t understand. You blatantly flirt with me and yet you get all flustered if I only look at you.”

 

“I do not get flustered!” She frowned at him. She did, every time. It would throw her off when he’d flirt back or give her that smile, the smile he’d give a romanced inquisitor. Cullen wasn’t supposed to be this confident until later in the game and it confused her. It was like she was Cullen and he was the inquisitor. She did not like this at all. He had a cocky smile on his face and it was beginning to piss her off. She opened her mouth to speak and quickly closed it.  Instead, she walked toward the door and opened it. Before leaving, she turned around. “Sweet dreams, Commander.” She had no idea.

 

\---

 

    _She was sitting in her apartment reading a book, how she spent most of her dreams since arriving in Thedas. The door to her apartment always opened to a brick wall which irritated her profusely. Tonight was different. She felt something pulling at her. She stood and gravitated to the door and was surprised when it opened to the hallway. She slowly walked down the hall to the stairs. The glass door at the bottom of the stairs showed the outside of her apartment, the back parking lot and the dumpster, but when she opened it she was standing on a dock looking out at a lake. She stepped back and closed the door which showed the outside of her apartment again. She repeated a few times before stepping out onto the dock. As she walked down the dock it began to stretch farther out into the lake with each step she took. She reached the other side of the lake and found another door. She opened it._

_She was in the room with the tubs again. The clothes on her body felt itchy and confining and when she looked down she saw she was no longer wearing her jeans and sweater. Instead she was in a wool robe. She looked around the room until she saw him. Cullen was in the same tub she’d left him in, watching her. Her legs began to move without telling them to. Her heartbeat dropped to between her thighs. She stopped next to the tub. Her hands moved quickly to untie the robe and let it fall until it pooled at her feet. She stepped into the tub and straddled him. His left hand brushed her cheek and his right found her waist and pulled her closer, his erection hard against her back side._

 

    _“Cullen,” his name barely a whisper on her tongue._

_“Maker’s breath, you are so beautiful.” His lips found hers and stole the moan from her mouth. The hand on her waist slid up her side, tickling her rib cage. She giggled slightly and squirmed against him. His fingers paused when they brushed over the scar under her left breast. She gave him a little whimper when he broke this kiss and gently pushed her back. His fingers brushed over the scar again and she shivered. His face became confused first and then changed quickly. He was very angry when he looked up at her. She backed up to the other side of the tub when she saw the look on his face. “Desire demon.” The words were more of a growl._

_“What?! No!” She stood to get out of the tub, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. “Cullen, you’re hurting me!”_

_“How did you get in my dream, demon?” She scrunched her face at him._

  
   _“I’m not a fucking demon! I was dreaming, too! I was dreaming and I felt pulled here.” Tears threatened to fall from her already water blue eyes. He loosened his grip on her wrist. She pulled it out of his hand, holding it close to her chest and massaging it with her thumb. “Maybe if you weren’t having a dirty dream about me, I’d still be enjoying mine and not waste my sleep being here.” She regretted saying it immediately. Even if she hadn’t seen the look on his face, which just made it worse, she would have regretted it. He disappeared from the tub before she could apologize. The entire room went black and she felt like she was falling until she sat up, awake in bed, trying to control her breathing._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added a small blurb at the bottom for Cullen's wake up reaction.

    Alice snatched her black wool shawl from the end of the bed and wrapped it around the cotton shift Dorian had loaned her to sleep in. She quickly retrieved her messenger bag and rummaged through the hidden pocket. She threw a pack of cigarettes, her lighter, and her bag of weed on the bed before tossing her bag on the ground. Grabbing a plate that was sitting on the small table in the center of the room, she hopped back on her bed, adjusting to sit indian style and ripped the cellophane off her pack of smokes. She removed a cigarette and lit it, silently apologizing to Dorian about the smell. She wasn’t sure where he ran off to so early, but at the moment she was grateful for the peace. She set the lit cigarette on the plate and grabbed another from the pack. She ripped the filter off the end and used her thumb nail to split the paper, dumping the tobacco contents onto the other side of the plate. She had just finished rolling her joint when the door opened and Dorian walked in.

 

    “What in Andraste’s name are you doing in here?” He waved his hand in the air, exaggeratingly clearing the smoke that was barely visible. “I told you, you could stay if you didn’t set my room on fire. This is not a great start.” He playfully frowned.

 

    “I had a very shitty dream. Well, no, I had a really amazing dream that turned shitty when Cullen and I realized we were sharing it together.” She lit her joint.

 

    “Slow down.” He grabbed one of the two wooden chairs that sat under the small table and placed it next to the bed before sitting down. “Cullen and you were in a dream...together?” She nodded before exhaling a mouthful of smoke. “Number one, what is that and how does it smell bad and good at the same time and number two, was it your dream or his?”

 

    “It’s called marijuana. It’s a drug from my world. It makes you relaxed and since I’m pretty fucking freaked out right now, I really needed to smoke this. And I believe it was his.” She took another drag.

 

    “Why do you believe it was his?” He reached his hand out to her. “May I?”

 

    “You...you want to smoke this?! Okay, I’m instantly in a better mood if I get to get you stoned.” She handed him the joint with a giant grin spread across her face.

 

    “I will try anything once and we aren’t sealing the breach until tomorrow.” Her stomach dropped.

 

    “Tomorrow?” He nodded while coughing after his exhale. “I thought we had more time.” He raised an eyebrow at her. She brushed him off. “Ask me tomorrow.”

 

    “So, back to the question, how did you know it was his dream.” He went to hand her the joint back and she motioned for him to smoke it again.

 

    “I’ve been in almost complete control of my dreams since falling out of the fade here. There’s normally a brick wall over, what I assume is, the exit to my dreams. Within the walls of my dreams, I can shape it however I want, but last night the wall was down. I left my dream and stepped into his. Not to mention the lack of control I’d feel at different moments. Not that I didn’t want to do anything my body did. I just know I wasn’t in complete control. And now he thinks I’m a desire demon and probably feels like he’s been violated.” She sighed. Resting her elbows on her knees she let her head fall into her hands.

 

    “So I take it, he was having a wet dream?” She nodded into her palms. “Knowing our Commander, he probably feels like he violated you.”

 

    “That’s just as bad,” she groaned. Dorian began to giggle profusely.

 

    “Yooou know whooo youu haaave to taalk to,” he struggled to catch his breath on each word. He took a moment to catch his breath before finishing. “Soo-olaaass.”

 

    “I should have never gotten you high,” she said while rolling her eyes. Dorian wiped the tears from his cheeks.

 

    “This is quite fun! Sera would love this!” Alice rolled her eyes again and snorted.

 

    “We are not getting Sera high! That’s a terrible idea! Solas, yes. God knows he needs to chill the fuck out.” She frowned to herself, thinking about their last real conversation. They hadn’t said more than a handful of words to each other since leaving Redcliffe. For the most part, the only interaction they had was the few times she caught him watching her out of curiosity. Even then, they only exchanged dirty looks.

 

    “For the love of the Maker, please!? We need to drug him and convince him to get a new wardrobe.”

 

    “I don’t know, Dorian. His skin tight pants don’t really leave anything to the imagination which makes fantasizing about him easier.” Dorian looked at her like she had said the most appalling thing in the world.

 

    “Well I never!”

 

    “Oh please! Do you think I’m blind? I’ve caught you checking out his perfectly shaped butt quite a few times.” They fell into each other laughing when they heard a small knock at the door. The door opened slowly and Solas stood in the doorway, the early morning sun creating a pinkish orange aura around his toned frame.

  
    “You two know I can hear everything you’re saying, right?” The tone of his voice and the way he stood with his arms crossed like a petulant child made Dorian and Alice laugh even harder. He stood like that for a few minutes waiting for laughter to die that never did and finally said something about everyone wanting breakfast before storming out of the cabin.

 

\---

  
    Cullen jolted awake, immediately sitting up in his bedroll. The erection between his legs twitched to prove that the embarrassing events in his dream really happened. He groaned as he laid back down and covered his face with his hands. _The way she looked at me when she said I was hurting her. Maker, what have I done? I have to apologize. I have to make this right. If she’ll even speak to me again._ He rubbed his hands down his face. _The scar under her breast. The curves of her body._ _The way she looked naked on top of me._ His erection twitched again and he knew it wasn't going to go away on it's own. He rolled to his side groaning and freed his erection from his breeches with his hand. _Just don’t think of her, you’ve done enough._ For the first time in a very long time, Cullen came into his palm thinking of Surana.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse my french. Literally. I used google translator, but I'm hoping for the best because all I did it for was a list of ingredients not for sentence structure.

    Cullen didn’t see Alice stop at the back corner of the cabin she shared with Dorian while he entered the Chantry. He also didn’t see her poke her head around the Chantry door as Josephine approached him to discuss some of the nobles arriving and how their private guards were to be handled. It wasn’t until the door to the lower section of the Chantry clicked open, the hairs on the back up his neck stood up. He turned just fast enough to see a blond braid disappear behind the door that quickly closed shut. He turned back to continue his conversation with Josephine, cheeks flushed.

 

    “What happened between you two?” Josephine crossed her arms and gave Cullen a look that dared him not to answer.

 

    “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.” His hand rubbed the back of his neck. “How did you know?”

 

    “She made sure you were distracted before running downstairs. I would not have thought anything of it considering how she can get around you, but you went pale when you heard the door.” Josephine’s face changed to concern. “Do you wish to discuss it, we can go in my-”

 

    “No!” Josephine’s eyes widened and a small smirk formed on her lips. _Great, she’s going to talk to Leliana about this._ As if on cue, Leliana came out of the war room and walked with Josie into the latter’s office, leaving Cullen standing by himself. He turned and stared at the door leading to the lower level, his hand reaching out for the knob like it was going to bite him.

 

    “Are you going to go, or what?” The voice made Cullen slightly jump and he looked back to see the red haired elf that works in the kitchen with Alice.

 

    “No, uh, sorry. Go ahead.” He stepped back to let the elf pass, his hand running across the back of his neck again. He heard the elf laugh to herself as she pulled the door closed behind her. Culled stared at the door for a few seconds longer before shaking his head and walking off.

 

\---

 

    “I think you’re going to have company in a little bit. Unless he chickened out.” Elle closed the kitchen door behind her, grin on her face. Alice furrowed her brow and frowned.

 

    “Can you hand me the cinnamon?” Elle grabbed the jar off the shelf, placing it on the table before tilting her head and tightening her lips at the other woman. Alice sighed and wiped her forehead with her wrist. “I don’t want to talk about it. Will you slice the coriander bread we made last night and grab the syrup, please?” Elle did as she was asked while Alice adjusted the fire ruin on the pan she found in a pile of way too many pans.

 

    “What are we making?”

 

    “French toast. Although, I suppose it would be Orlesian here."

 

    “You say the weirdest things sometimes.” The door to the kitchen slammed open and closed. The women looked up to see Dorian standing at the end of the room. Alice sighed out of relief.

 

    “Andraste’s flaming ass, woman! Hurry up already! I’m starving! It smells absolutely  delicious in here, by the way.” Alice put two slices of french toast in a medium sized wooden bowl and set it next to the syrup.

 

    “It’s called the munchies. It’s the best and worst part.”

 

    “How do I eat this? My hands will be all sticky! Are you trying to make me look bad?”

 

    “I swear I’m going to draw a fork and give it to the blacksmith to see what he can do.” Dorian was trying to spoon up a piece of french toast out of the bowl, rather unsuccessfully. “Oh my God. Just use the spoon to hold it and use the knife to stab the pieces when you’re done cutting it. Jesus Christ, Dorian. I don’t think I’m getting you high again,” she teased. He would have thought of something witty to say back, but he took a bite first. Alice was pretty sure she knew what Dorian’s orgasm face looked like now. Elle rolled her eyes as she left to bring a tray of eggs and fried potatoes upstairs.

 

    “Fuck, that’s good.” He paused to take another bite. “I think you’re rubbing off on me, but sweet Maker that’s good. What is this?”

 

    “It’s really called french toast, but I think orlesian toast would be easier and need less explanation. They are very similar countries.” She said the last sentence in French and Dorian’s jaw dropped.

 

    “You speak Orlesian?”

 

    “My country speaks English and you’re speaking Ferelden. That’s not weird? I can’t help but feel like our worlds are connected on a grander scale. I don’t believe I’ve traveled through time. There’s too much of this that doesn’t fit with my world, but maybe an alternate universe. A world exactly the same, but different?”

 

    “I finint unnersand a fimgle fing you vust said.” Dorian’s cheeks were stuffed with pieces of french toast. Alice couldn’t help but to laugh at him. Elle walked back in just as Alice finished setting up two large plates of the ‘orlesian’ toast and dividing the jar of syrup into four smaller cream pitches. Eh, close enough.

 

    “Oh, nevermind! You’re hopeless right now. Come on, Elle. Let’s get this up here before everyone up there actually starves.”

 

    ---

 

    “Dessert? For breakfast? Count me in!” Bull joined the rest of the inner circle that actually woke up or ate breakfast. Varric, Sera, and Blackwall never seemed to be up early enough. Alice suppressed a smile as an inappropriate thought of Corypheus setting an alarm at 4am to attack crossed her mind. She had of course caught view of Cullen out of the corner of her eye and did her best to not glance in his direction.

 

    “It’s called orlesian toast and it’s to die for! She’s definitely coming with me when this is all over.” Dorian took a seat next to Trevelyan.

 

    “What is in it?” Cassandra scrunched up her nose at the plate in front of her. “It looks terribly sweet.”

 

    “Pain de la coriandre, les oeufs, la crème, le sucre, le zeste d'orange, noix de coco, la cannelle et la muscade.” The entire table grew silent as they all turned to look at her. For the first time that morning, she caught the Commander’s eyes and flushed. “Yes, well, there’s also a big mess of eggs and some fried potatoes with bacon if you’d prefer something not sweet. The coriander bread by itself is nice with some butter and cinnamon sugar as well.” She sort of awkwardly half curtsied before returning to the kitchen. Bull was the first to dive into his plate, Dorian shortly after, while the rest exchanged curious glances before finally eating.

 

    “Oh, this is good, boss! Can we keep her?” Bull was already finished and motioned for Cullen to hand him Cassandra’s plate since she was reaching for the eggs.

 

    “It is good! I will give her that, but it is too sweet! I would not object to having it for dessert sometime.” Cassandra finished dishing out some eggs for herself. She found it odd that they eggs were gooey until she realized it was cheese, along with diced up pieces of tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and pieces of- "What is that? Corn? Who puts corn in eggs?"  After taking a bite she moaned just a little bit, all concern about the corn fading away. It complimented the sweetness of the tomatoes and they corn had almost a buttery flavor.  “Oh, these are good too! She’s going to make us all very fat.” A frown formed on her lips, but quickly disappeared when she took her next bite.

 

    “Do you think it would be too forward if I asked her to marry me?” Dorian was joking and everyone else seemed to be aware he was joking too, but Cullen shot him a dirty look before standing up and taking his plate to go.

 

    “What’s got his underclothes all twisted up?” Bull used his thumb to point in the direction Cullen stormed off in.

  
    “Bad dreams.” Dorian bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing.


	9. Chapter 9

    “Solas, do you have a moment?” Alice caught up with him, outside the Chantry, after breakfast. He had been talking to Blackwall, who quickly ran off when he saw Alice approach. She smirked to herself. The smirk quickly faded when she turned her attention back to Solas. “I hate to say this, but I need your help.”

 

    “Does this have something to do with the commander?” She crossed her arm and huffed out a quick ‘no’.

 

    “Yes,” Dorian said as he passed them, heading back to his cabin. Alice rolled her eyes at him.

 

    “Okay! Yes, it does. We, well I, sort of...stumbled into his dream?” The way they both acted this morning and the fact that she was now standing in front of him with cheeks flushed and taking far more interest in the hem of her sweater instead of the conversation they were having, said it all.

 

    “I see and you went into his dream last night?” She nodded, bringing her attention back to him. “What were you doing before you entered his dream?”

 

    “I was in my own dream.” He paused for a moment with his lips parted and studied her.

 

    “Did you know you were dreaming?” Another nod. “Can you show me?”

 

    “Wait, what?” She took a few steps back from him.

 

    “Not the dream you shared! Your dreams. Can you show me? I can preform a spell to make you sleep and then you just need to think of me.”

 

    “How do I know you aren’t going to kill me?” She crossed her arms once again, narrowing her eyes at him.

 

    “You would be dead already.” His tone was cold and sure, it made her stand frozen. She stood, shocked, for a second before she grimaced.

 

    “Why are you even helping me?”

 

    “You’ve sparked my curiosity.” He began to walk toward his cabin and she begrudgingly followed.

 

\---

 

    _Solas stood in the middle of her living room, his fingers tracing the picture frame on the wall. The picture inside was of herself, about twenty, with her grandmother. The last photo they had taken together before she had gotten sick and passed. She pushed down the tears starting to form in her eyes. Solas continued to move around the room. Stopping in front of her bookcase, his fingers glided across her collection of Jane Austen novels until he reached her complete collection of William Shakespeare's works and pulled it from the shelf. He flipped through the pages. He placed it back on the shelf and pulled out a few more books and repeated._

_“This is remarkable! All of the books are still intact. I would have assumed they were just for show.” He eyed her curiously, one eyebrow raised._

_“I’ve been reading in my dreams since I got here. I didn’t realize it shouldn’t be normal. Well, I mean, I do know that ability to shape dreams is rare here, my world as well, but I’ve just kind of...I don’t know, gone with it?” Solas frowned at her._

_“Instead of discovering what you can do in your dreams, you’ve just sat here reading?”_

_“I fell into a magical world that is full of so much wonder and mystery already. I’m still getting used to having elves, dwarves, and qunari around. I want my dreams to be simple.” His frown did not falter. If anything, it grew._

_“I can sense the magic in your world. It’s much older than ours. It’s...different. Strong and yet it is almost silent. So quiet, I can barely hear it, but there is a hum.”_

_“How can you sense anything from my world?”_

_“The fade is reflecting your memory. It feels as it felt to you. You had no idea what you were actually feeling. Shame, really. Dangerous as well. If Corypheus found a way to gain entry to your world and take this power, he will win. There will be no hope in stopping him.” Panic rose in his voice as he spoke. “He will destroy this world in a heartbeat.” Solas shook his head. “We cannot allow that to happen. Even if he were to find you, it would be far too much power. We must speak to the advisors and convince them that you will need a personal guard.” He raised his hand when she opened her mouth to argue. “You have far too much power and far too little training on how to use it. You will have a guard and I will train you the best I can. I am unfamiliar with this magic, but I am your best hope of not killing us all.”_

_“Oh please, I’m not dangerous. I could barely hurt a fly!”_

_“The gate coming down on the Venatori agent?”_

_“Coincidence.”_

_“Nonsense. I felt the residual magic when we walked through it.”_

_“Of course you did,” she said under her breath. He glared at her before continuing._

_“And what did you feel before entering Cullen’s dream?”_

_“Pulled, out of control. I don’t understand wha-”_

_“Your magic connected with the fade when you arrived here. As you know, everyone’s dreams are connected through the fade. Your connection is stronger, like me or more so as a spirit would be. Your magic is trying to block the connection, hence the ward on your door.”_

_“The brick wall?_

_“If that is what you see, then yes. That is how your mind is telling you to see it.”_

_“I have such a strong connection to the fade when Cullen dreamed of me, it made the ward fall?”_

_“Possibly, or your mind heard his call and you made it fall without realizing it. Do you see how dangerous this could be if Corypheus finds out about you? He will either have someone draw you out or he will have them come to you.  Dreamers are rare, yes, but not rare enough that he couldn’t find one and bend them to his will.”_

_“So, trying to not fuck shit up while I’m awake is also going to be added to sleep as well.” Solas chuckled and she was taken aback._

_“Yes, well, I will help you with this.” He held his hand together behind his back and looked at her like he had never seen her before. “Can you show me something of the inquisition?”_

_“I don’t know if I can.” Her stomach twisted in knots and her face did little to hide her concern._

_“Just relax, take a deep breath and imagine it. Every detail you can, imagine it right in front of you.” She did as he said after taking a moment to think of what she wanted to show him. Her heart pounding in her chest, she squeezed tears out of her eyes when soft music began to play._

_“Open your eyes.”_

_“I can’t!” She heard his voice speak again, but it wasn’t him next to her speaking. It was his voice surrounding her. She felt his hands on her shoulders slightly shake her._

_“Open your eyes!” And she did. The music began to grow and silent tears fell from her eyes. She stood, half laughing half crying, looking at her dalish inquisitor scouting for Skyhold. His voice continued all around her. She glanced over at Solas to see him in awe of the scene in front of him._

_“Skyhold.” Solas reached out at his other self, but his fingers were stopped. He assumed it was a ward until he pressed his palm against it and the colors around his hand twisted together._

_“What is this?” Alice pressed her hand against it as well._

_“It’s a screen. It’s a gigantic tv.” Before she could look up, the scene had ended and the dream around them warped back into her apartment. “It’s like this,” she said pointing to her tv on the wall, “because that’s how I play it.” She stood in place and imagined the tv on with the game menu up. A few seconds later she heard the tv click on and the Inquisition Theme begin to play. Solas walked over to the tv and placed his hand against it and the colors twisted as they had done before._

_“Fascinating.” Before he was able to say anything else, Alice felt herself ripped from the dream._

 

    She shot up in Solas’s bed. Dorian stood in the doorway with a huge grin spread across his face. She rolled her eyes and avoided stepping on Solas, who had just woken up as well, when she crawled out of his bed.

 

    “I just thought you’d like to know that a very handsome commander was looking for you and stormed off when he saw you sneak in here with Solas. Varric told me.” She made a disgruntled noise that could rival Cassandra’s anyday.

 

    “Living with you, sneaking off with Solas to go to his cabin, fuck! He probably thinks I’m the camp whore.” She pouted and her eyes filled with worry.

 

    “Please! Like the hobo apostate could afford you!”

 

    “I resent that!”

 

    “Oh, you want to sleep with her, do you?” Solas rolled his eyes.

 

    “No!" He said it as if he were offended by the very idea. "That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

  
    “Hey, now _I_ resent that! I’m completely fuckable!” Solas glared at her and she mocked his glare right back at him. “Come on, Dorian, let’s go. He’s just bitter because it’s been a _very_ long time.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I've changed the archive warning. There is a trigger warning with this chapter specifically. I didn't plan for this story to go this way, but I was driving home from work last night listening to Moonlight Sonata and this scene silently played out for me in my head. So, this scene is actually not supposed to have any words at all, but being that this is a story and not a movie, well yeah you get it. Sorry! I hope everyone keeps reading! I know it's kind of irritating when warnings are changed after part of the story's already been told.

    “Cullen, I was-”

 

    “Commander,” he corrected. She felt her face grow hot and a lump form in her throat. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

 

    “ _Commander_ ,” she said it as condescending as she could muster and watched him wince at her tone. “I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time.”

 

    “I’m rather busy right now.” He clearly wasn’t.

 

    “It will only take a moment, I swea-”

 

    “As I said, I’m very busy right now and I’m sure you have far more important things to do.” The way his voice hung on the word important made her face red with anger, like he was telling an inside joke he thought he was only privy to.

 

    “When you’re done removing that gigantic stick up your ass and can talk to me without being a complete fucking prick, then maybe you’ll get lucky and I’ll still be interested in talking to you.” She said it louder than she meant to, but couldn’t help feeling a little satisfied when the soldiers practicing around them, stopped. “I wouldn’t hold your fucking breath.” As she stormed off, half of the soldiers watched her storm off and the other half stared at their commander, snickering.

 

    “What are you men gawking at? Get back to work!” Alice heard Cullen yell at his men when she reached the gates into Haven.

 

    Before she got to the kitchen, she stopped and asked Leliana if she could send a couple of people down when lunch and dinner were ready. She didn’t feel like explaining and was secretly thrilled that Leliana only gave her a concerned look and agreed. When she got to the kitchen, she kicked Elle out. Well, she nicely gave Elle the rest of the day off and was very happy to be alone when the elf left. Alice had to kick Dorian out when he came down after dinner.

 

    “What in the Maker’s name happened here?!” In six hours she managed to make lunch, dinner, four cakes, four dozen sugar cookies, and three dozen cupcakes. The desserts littered the table.

 

    “Cullen.” She snarled his name. “I love you, but I really need you to get out and take all this sugar with you.” Dorian huffed, but did as she asked in three trips. “Make sure the soldiers get some too, please. There’s more than enough to somewhat share.”

 

     When Dorian left with the last of the desserts, she placed two large pots of stew in the cold cellar to be ready for tomorrow. It was more of a room with very thin walls and less of a cold cellar, but it did the job it was supposed to do. While she was waiting for it to cool, she looked around the room for containers that would travel well. After fifteen minutes and not really any luck, she decided to call it an early night. She met Leliana at the door to the main hall of the Chantry. The spymaster offered her a knowing smile and a change of clean clothes. She made her way to the cabin Dorian and her shared, pausing at the door to look at her surroundings. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She felt like she was being watched, but she didn’t see anyone, besides the groups of people entering the tavern a little ways down the path.

 

    Alice stopped outside the Chantry walls and looked up at the sky, robe draped across her arm, to gauge how long she had before Cullen would be showing up for his bath. It would have to be a quick bath. In just the four short days of being at Haven, she already knew how much of a creature of habit the commander was. _Fucking prick._ She felt eyes on her again and quickly turned around, again greeted by no one. She headed into the Chantry, ignoring the wave of nervousness that made her stomach flutter and her legs want to run. _You’re just freaking out because Cory is coming tomorrow._ She quickly filled her tub and pressed her palm to the side of the tub. She imagined the last bath she had at home, the perfect temperature, the smell of her Cherry Blossom sugar scrub. Her palm grew warm and the scent of cherry blossoms filled her nose. She opened her eyes, smirking at the job she had done. There was no sugar scrub, but the overwhelming scent still filled the room. She stepped into the tub and let her whole body relax. She knew she had to rush, but to soak, even for a second, was heaven.

 

    It was indeed only a second. She felt hands pushing on her shoulders and she opened her eyes just in time to be submerged in the water. Through the warping of the water, she saw two men. A soldier was holding her underwater and she could see the gleam of the other’s templar armor. She struggled for what felt like hours, but wasn’t even a minute. The soldier pulled her out of the water. She tried to fight, but the lack of oxygen left her coughing and struggling to breathe.

 

   “Hold her up!” The templar, his black hair greased back, spoke and her stomach churned. She felt the force of being pulled up, the soldier dragged her back, ripping her arms behind her back and using his arm to pin her against him. His free hand found her neck and squeezed.

 

    “If you make a sound, we will kill you and still fuck your corpse.” The soldier ran his nose up the length of her neck and rubbed his erection against her backside. She knew she was going to vomit at any moment. “You’re a pretty one, aren’t you? We’ll be real nice to you.” His voice dropped to a whisper that sent a wave of terror through her body. The templar had been staring at her since the soldier propped her up against him. As he walked closer to her, everything began to slow down. Her breathing and heartbeat echoed in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, pushing out a few tears, when the templar's hand ran down her neck, her breasts, and stopped at her waist.

 

    “Since the commander doesn’t seem to be man enough to do it, someone should teach you how to keep that smart mouth of yours shut.” He forced his mouth on hers and when she wouldn’t part them, someone twisted her nipple. When she opened her mouth to cry out, his tongue gained entry. The templar broke his unwanted kiss and began to let his mouth lead him down her body.

 

    “Please, stop.” Her voice cracked and silent tears began to fall, dropping from her chin.

 

    “We are nowhere near finished with you, love.” The templar looked up at her from between her legs. His hand ran up her thigh and she squirmed to get away. The soldier tighten his grip on her arms.

 

   “P-please, don’t do this.” The templar ignored her pleas, instead running his fingers against her mound. Her need to vomit was rising.

 

    “You didn’t think we wouldn’t let you get something out of this did you? Just relax and be good and I’ll leave you begging for more.” His mouth found the spot between her legs, his fingers forcefully entering her. Tears slid down her face with no hope of stopping and her body began to violently shake and then everything suddently went still. An almost serene feeling washed over her. The entire room stood still. She didn’t feel the soldier biting her neck or grinding his erection against her. She remembered her last moments with her grandmother. The blood falling from her grams nose as the tumor on her brain finally took her. When the blood began to fall from the soldier's nose and drip down her body to the templar below, his grip on her arms loosened. The templar stood up quickly as his friend slumped to the ground behind Alice. He snarled at her, grabbing her by the neck and pushing her against the wall. “You’ll pay for that, mage cunt!”

 

    She felt the magic in the room change, grew heavy and thick. She didn’t know what the templar did, but it reflected back at him and he staggered back, bumping against one of the tubs. She ran for the door, but was stopped short when he grabbed a handful of her hair at the scalp. She cried out when he pulled back and threw her against the ground. She struggled to get up, but he straddled her and held her down with his hand wrapped around her throat. Her hands fought to release his grip, nails digging into his flesh. His other hand moved to free his erection from his breeches, but before anything else could happen, she saw a flash of fur and the templar on top of her was picked up and thrown across the room. She pressed herself against the tub she was near, trying to make herself as small as possible. She brought her legs up to her chest and tried to calm herself and to stop shaking. She sat, feeling dead to the world and could hear grunts and the hard slapping sound of flesh forcefully hitting flesh. Then the room went silent.

  
    “Maker preserve me.” She flinched when a hand gingerly touched her shoulder, but relaxed a little when she saw it was Cullen. He quickly took his overcoat off and wrapped it around her body. “Are you okay?” She shook her head and started to cry. He pulled her into his arms. She cried into his neck and his fingers brushed through her hair. They sat like that for quite awhile as he whispered apologies and that he will always keep her safe, like a prayer.


	11. Chapter 11

    On his way to the baths, Cullen was trying to come to terms that Alice may have wanted what almost happened in his dream as much as he did. He had just met with Solas, along with Leliana and Josephine to discuss Alice and what she may or may not be capable of. Trevelyan had taken Dorian and a few others to the Hinterlands to round up the straggling mages for tomorrow. They had left after dinner and while Cullen suggested they waited till the morning for the herald’s return, Solas insisted it was important that they talked then. Cullen felt his face burn out of embarrassment when Solas told them of what he learned after breakfast when he entered Alice’s dream. When Solas would make eye contact with Cullen while speaking, he’d narrow his eyes, making Cullen feel even more foolish. They finally agreed to guards, ‘for her safety as well as our own’ as Solas repeated many times. They all went their separate ways, Solas stating he would find Alice and let her know, Cullen and Leliana agreeing to decide who would be best for the job, and Josephine muttering something about keeping the rumors in check and figuring out how to explain why their chef needs to be guarded.

 

    Cullen shook his head, as if it could really shake the memory of her lips against his from his mind, before walking into the Chantry. He heard a muffled shout, the soap and robe in his hands fell to his feet and he ran down the hallway to the baths, without hesitation. It only took him a second to realize what was going on when he came running through the door. An inquisition soldier dead on the floor, Alice’s black shawl at the end of one of the tubs, and the templar that he was picking up and throwing across the room before the other man ever had a chance to react. Everything went black and when his vision was clear again, the black haired templar was underneath him, face broken and bloody. A few teeth were scattered on the stone floor next to him.

 

    He stood with his head down and shoulders slumped and slowly turned around. The sight in front of him made his chest hurt and his breath catch in his lungs. Alice had her body pushed up against the tub, knees pulled up to her chin, looking almost childlike except for the blank stare on her face. He wanted to scream, to cry, to turn around and watch the templar’s life go out of his eyes as he strangled him.

 

    “Maker preserve me.”

 

\---

 

    Cullen wasn’t sure how long he had been clenching his teeth. When he finally relaxed his mouth, his jaw throbbed in response. When he had first held her in his arms, she hesitated before returning the embrace. She was freezing at the time and he lifted her onto his lap to warm her up. He tightened his hold on her and she eventually drifted off.

 

    She stirred against him and buried her face into his chest and Cullen was grateful he wasn’t wearing his armor. For her sake, he told himself. His legs were starting to go numb and he knew he needed to speak with the girls. They could handle getting someone clean up and take the templar into custody, if he was even still alive. Cullen rested his forehead on the top of Alice’s head, refusing to look over at her attackers’ bodies. She sighed, her intertwined fingers that met on his shoulder, tightened. His chest constricted. He knew he had to get up, but the last thing he wanted was to let her go.

 

    The feeling was completely foreign to him. He had an unyielding need to do whatever it would take to keep her safe. He even tried to convince himself he’d never let her out of his sight again, which he knew would be impossible. And all this was before tonight. Now, he had to fight the sensation to just take her and leave. Take her somewhere far, far away from everything and everyone that would want to hurt her and they could just stay together. His thoughts made him feel foolish and terrified at the same time. He was a stranger to love or intimacy, but he had never felt like this before. He wasn't sure if he could even call it love, they barely knew each other at all. Well, he barely knew her. He knew that she had to know some things, but not to what extent. None of that mattered, though. He decided right then and there that he would do anything for her and everything in his power to keep her safe.

 

\---

 

    Alice had no clue how long she’d been asleep for. It took her a moment to recognize her surroundings. She was in a bed, but not Dorian’s and when she saw the bed next to her, she finally realized she was in the bedroom Leliana and Josephine shared in the Chantry. She could hear people- no, one person shouting in the war room. She could tell that the person shouting was Cullen and he was very angry. She groaned into the fur on his overcoat and wiped away the tears that had started to form before standing up. She wrapped the maroonish red fabric tightly around her body before leaving the girls’ room and knocking on the door to the war room. Cullen’s shouting stopped and Josephine stood in front of her with a sympathetic look on her face when the door opened. In fact, Leliana and Cassandra had the same look on their face while Solas and Cullen did their best to avoid looking at her. She felt her face get hot in anger.

 

    “I’m not doing this and I’m not dealing with this right now! I want to go to bed. I don’t want your sympathetic looks or your pity. I don’t want to hear any arguments about me! I’m not going to sit in that fucking room and hear everyone talk about me!”  She felt bad when she slammed the door in Josie’s face, but at the same time she really didn’t care. She was halfway through storming out of the Chantry, but she stopped when she heard Cullen call for her. He took her hand in his when he caught up to her. When she turned and faced him, he used his thumb and knuckle to brush away the tears in her eyes.

 

    “You don’t have shoes on. I’m going to pick you up, is that okay?” She swallowed hard and nodded. She couldn’t do anything but watch him as he picked her up and carried her to her cabin. Alice expected him to set her down when they entered her cabin, but he walked over to the bed and gently laid her down. She silently studied his face as he tucked her in and couldn’t understand why he was being to nice to her. He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair out of her face, smiling sadly. His hand found hers again and he held it in silence, staring at her for a moment and then the floor in front of him. After a while, he stood to leave and Alice kept her hand in his until he looked down at her.

  
    “Please?” She couldn’t find the other words she wanted to say, but Cullen nodded in understanding and laid next to her in bed. He pulled her close and held her tight, chest to chest, until they both drifted into a restless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this chapter out before work tonight so apologies if it feels rushed because, well, honestly it kind of was.
> 
> Great news though, when I get off tonight I'm off till Friday which means chapters!!! I'm going to try and make the battle with Cory a one chapter event because I feel the day would go much quicker after the previous days events. Not to mention impending doom doesn't exactly crawl by slowly. Events on the mountain path will be a separate chapter! I'm spending the day at work day dreaming the next few chapters.


	12. Chapter 12

    Watching them come back from sealing the breach looking worried and morose was kind of heartbreaking to Alice. They should be blissfully ignorant and celebrating. The morning started off better than she had anticipated. She expected a lot of yelling, heated words thrown at her over keeping this secret, but instead only Trevelyan seemed to be upset.

 

    “How could you not tell us this sooner?” Maxwell paced the room, face hot with anger.

 

    “I was afraid you would have ran if I told you sooner. The inquisition has to fight here, you all have to fight here. If you don’t, Corypheus will have all of his Templars. You deal a significant blow to his forces here, today. What I’m giving you is a few precious hours to prepare and the opportunity to save more lives compared to the few minutes you would have had otherwise.” Leliana shared a hopeful look with Josie and Cassandra. “Bring the mountain down on the bastard.”

 

    Now they were returning, breach sealed and worrying about their impending doom. She didn’t need to be standing out in the snow watching them return. She could have stayed in the kitchen and knew the exact moment of their return just the same. Or at least, Cullen’s return. Since they went their separate ways this morning, him to the soldiers and her to the kitchen, she knew exactly where he was without having to see him. It was as if they were connected together by an invisible thread. A thread that pulled harder the longer they were apart. She could feel his presence growing and fading the closer and farther he moved about the camp. The only difference in this moment was that she was under the heat of his intense gaze and she knew the look on his face was a confirmation that he felt the same thing she did. When he was finally standing in front of her, his hands cupped her face and he rested his forehead against hers.

 

    “Go to the Chantry and stay there.”

 

    “Cullen.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

 

    “Please,” his tone soft and sweet and almost strained, “go straight to the Chantry and for the love of the Maker, do not leave. I will know.” She nodded against his forehead before he finally stood straight up. Her skin hummed where his had made contact, a solemn tune that reverberated throughout her entire body. She uncomfortably adjusted her messenger bag that hung across her torso since she dressed this morning, for fear of leaving it behind, and when she turned to walk back he reached out and grabbed her hand. For a split second she was sure he was going to kiss her. Her body tensed, her eyes went wide and the hand that was in squeezed and he nodded his head once at her. She quickly relaxed when he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to the top of her head instead. They broke apart, fingers touching until they could no longer reach. She went to the Chantry and he to his soldiers. She smiled weakly at Varric when she passed him.

 

    “Anyone else feel like they just had an entire conversation without saying a word?”

 

    “I think it is sweet.” Cassandra spoke up, walking passed Varric to meet with Mother Giselle before sending the civilians up the mountain path with Chancellor Roderick.

 

    “It’s kind of creepy, if you ask me.” Bull walked up next to Varric and crossed his arms. “I thought only elves bonded.”

 

    “The Dalish bond, but it is no different than an Andrastian wedding.” Solas frowned as he approached Bull and Varric. “I’m not sure what to make of them,” he lied. He continued on and caught up with Alice outside the Chantry doors. “Lethallan, hold a moment.”

 

    “Lethallan?” She faced Solas, eyebrows pushed together and raised.

 

    “Yes, it means-”

 

    “I know what it means. I just didn’t think we were close, at all.”

 

    “You’re the closest to my people that I’ve had in a long time. Humor me.” She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

 

    “These people could be your people if you’d only give them a chance.” His eyes narrowed.

 

    “That’s not what-," he cut himself off, grinding his teeth. "I didn’t come to fight with you. I wanted to talk to you about our Commander.” She sighed and he led her into the crowded Chantry. They sat together on the free end of a bench before he continued. “When did you first notice things were different?”

 

    “This morning.” She shifted uncomfortably.

 

    “Do you feel anything when you are apart for too long?”

 

    “Pulling. It get’s stronger the longer or the farther we are apart. I had to stop myself from following you guys to the breach.”

 

     “Like you’re connected?” She nodded. Solas ran his hands down his face. “This shouldn’t be possible. You’re both humans, it doesn’t make sense.” He studied her. “You continue to surprise me. Alice, you’ve bound yourselves in a way that I have not seen in a very long time. Your spirits have become one. It must have happened when he found you...” Solas let his remaining words fall away and they sat in a thick air of silence, Alice’s mouth slightly open out of disbelief.

 

    “How can we bind ourselves together and not know?” Her voice was just above a whisper. Solas pondered a moment.

 

     “I believe that you may have offered yourself, unknowingly, sometime after you first arrived. Last night, he had to have done the same and you both accepted. You initiated it. Cullen would not have been able to do that on his own.” Her face dropped as she thought about the fact that Cullen may have accidentally accepted the binding. _What will he do when he finds out? Will he blame me? Will he hate me? I didn’t even know what I was doing! How could I be so selfish?_

 

    “Lethallan, you misunderstand me,” as if he were reading her mind. “He may not realize that he’s accepted anything. He may realize something is different, but-”

 

    “He feels it too.” Solas nodded.

 

    “But he could not have accepted without offering the same. The binding cannot work one way only. You are bound together because he wanted it as much as you..” Shouts started to come from outside the Chantry walls. He put his hand on hers for just a second. “Do not leave this building until Cullen comes for you.”

 

\---

 

    Alice watched from the doorway of the Chantry as the first trebuchet went off and the projectile slammed into the mountain. Vivienne held up a barrier that bubbled out the door and Alice fortified it with her own magic. The result was something similar to a bug zapper, which Alice remarked on when a templar was sent fly back after running into it and in turn received an annoyed look from the enchanter. _Of course, I'm left with the bitch as my babysitter._ The cheering from beyond the walls of Haven quickly died as the dragon made its approach. She had held out the hope that it wouldn’t come until the second trebuchet went off, but the first wasn’t supposed to cause the avalanche. Everything slowed down and the same serene feeling washed over her like it had in the baths before the soldier slumped to the ground, dead.

 

    Solas didn’t know what happened. In the blink of an eye he was thrown back away from the trebuchet, along with Bull, Dorian, Trevelyan, and every templar they had been fighting. The trebuchet made a sickening crunching sound as it moved, by an invisible force, aimed and fired. A piece of wood that had snapped off of the trebuchet came flying through the air and Solas jumped out of the way in time. The templar regaining his balance behind him did not and was impaled, the wood stabbed through the templar and into the side of blacksmith's house. In the same split second, the projectile from the second trebuchet came crashing into the side of the dragon’s head, sending it crashing down into the templars below it.

  
    Alice fell to her knees in the doorway and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the dirt. She barely heard Vivienne shout for someone to help because the blood rushing in her ears overpowered all other sounds. Her vision became blotchy and when she tried to stand everything went black before she fainted.


	13. Chapter 13

_“Lethallan, you need to wake up.”_

 

    Alice was cold, so mind numbingly cold. She also hurt. Not physically, but inside from being so far from Cullen. She could feel him panicking on the mountain pass. It took a while for her eyes to adjust as the blurry outline of Trevelyan dangling by the arm in Corypheus’s grasp came into focus. She was propped up on something and when she looked up, she noticed it was the charred remains of the trebuchet that was supposed to be used to bury Haven. Trevelyan was thrown a foot to her left, head smacking against a rock with a sickening crunch. He landed next to a red templar that had her bag laying across his lifeless body. Trevelyan showed no signs of consciousness. If it wasn’t for the slow movements of his chest moving, she would have assumed him dead. Cory’s dragon stood opposite her. _No, that isn’t his dragon. How the fuck did he get another dragon?! Light gold bloodshot eyes, skin looks like armor, red lyrium sticking out of it’s chest-_

 

    “Samson.” It was barely a breath out of her lungs let alone a whisper, but the dragon that used to be Samson heard her. She jumped to her feet and ran to Trevelyan’s side.

 

    “Samson, it seems our guest is awake. Here to save your Herald?” Corypheus strode towards her. “He will be dead soon enough.” The darkspawn magister raised the orb in his hand, the orb turning green and floating above his palm in response. That stupid fucking orb. Alice stood, her hands in fists at her side. The snow around the Samson dragon began to twist and turn. She took a step forward and Corypheus was pushed back, sliding across the snow a few feet. She paid no attention to Trevelyan groaning behind her.

 

    “Fuck that stupid fucking orb!” Bindings came out of the snow like octopus tentacles and wrapped around the dragon. “You stupid, piece of shit, entitled, mother fucker! I’m going to feed you that fucking orb!” The last thing she remembered after the orb touched her hand was feeling like she was floating followed by a flash of green light and a loud boom, and Trevelyan saying ‘Andraste guide me’.

 

\---

 

    The searing pain on the back of his head and the deafening ringing in his ears were the only things Maxwell could focus on. He gingerly rubbed his hand across the offending area and pulled away to find blood on his fingers. He heard muffled shouts as the ringing in his ears subsided and he finally noticed Alice, Corypheus, and-, _Maker’s breath is that another dragon?!_

 

    He tried to stand when Corypheus was pushed back, but only groaned before falling back down. Words were becoming clearer and he thought the last thing he heard Alice say was ‘feed you that fucking orb’, but he finally managed to stand, rather quickly, when the orb flew from Corypheus’s hand to Alice’s. Her whole body turned green and rose up from the ground. The feeling of the power building and air crackling around them gave him goosebumps. The light burst out of her, magic reflecting off the mountains surrounding Haven. The sound delayed and finally the large boom shook the ground under his feet as Alice fell to the ground.

    "Andraste guide me." He hesitated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so short guys I'm so sorry! I just had to add Trevelyan's part at the bottom last night, but then I got home from work and fell asleep. So I was going to do it this morning and my opening manager was a no call no show and I had to go into work. So you've been waiting for the shortest chapter ever and I'm sorry.
> 
> In other news, Trevelyan is going to make the choice that changes everything. Well, that's what the inquisitor does, right? So this part of the book is done. I will be working on the consequences for Trevelyan's choice for part 2 and part 3. REMEMBER PART 3 IS THE BAD ONE! I just want to make this very clear.


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